Adrian Del Valle - Diego's Brooklyn (12 page)

“Whaddya gonna do?” said Tommy.

“Watch!” Lifting his foot, the Geek gave the door one solid shot that sent it slamming into the room and a row of full boxes stacked against the inside wall.

“EEEEEEEEEE!”
Mary toppled over backwards from the impact of the door to her face and hit the floor with a loud thud.

“Dumb broad!” said The Geek. “That’s what you get for lookin’ through the keyhole. Hey Eddie, put a gag on her mouth. And you…keep your mouth shut lady, or you ain’t gonna have a head on your shoulders to yell from anymore.”

“I…I have eight dollars and some change in my purse. Take it and anything else…mm, mm, mph…”

“Tighter! Make it tighter! Now give her some room. Let her sit in the chair.” Jimmy’s arms folded as he gave her a long look of disgust.

Gasping for breath, Mary, wearing an over washed, cotton house dress with nothing underneath, slowly turned around on her knees with her hairy butt facing the opened doorway.”

“Nice…real nice,” said Fast Eddie, his head lowering and turning sideways for a better look.

Gradually, Mary struggled to her feet and dropped heavily into her overstuffed recliner. The impact sent it slamming into the wall behind it.

The Geek pulled up a wooden chair from the table and sat directly in front of her collapsed body, crammed into the cushions like an oversized clam too big for its shell. He lit a cigar, shook the match and threw it on the floor. He took a long, slow drag, exhaled with no thought as to direction, and with a sympathetic sounding voice, said, “Look lady, I’m only gonna say this once. We want the money and we think it’s in here. Now, you can be a nice fat lady and tell us where it is, or I’m gonna get awfully mad. Now, what’s it gonna be?”

Mary’s eyes stared back, reddened and glistening like glazed cherries. She cowered as far into the recliner as she could possibly get and meekly nodded at the large man in front of her.”

“Okay lady…I’m gonna take this gag off and no screaming…ya got that?”

Mary nodded—a little faster this time.

“Now…what’s your name?”

“M-M-Mary…Mary.”

“Mary, Mary, or just Mary?”

“Just M-Mary. Wh—what do you boys want? AlI I have is…”

“Yeah, yeah, we heard the one about the eight bucks, already. We want the big money. The $10,000 Barnes gave you to hold for him.”

“Who…who’s Barnes?”

“Oh, come on lady. The guy that lives behind 2B? Your boyfriend, maybe?”

“2B? No….that, that’s not my boyfriend. I..I didn’t even know that was his last name. I only know him as Joe. All we ever said to one another was…maybe hello and that was only when I used the bathroo…”

“Man, this broad is so full o’ shit.” The Geek stood up and leaned on the back of the chair. “You know what boys? I think we gotta waste the fat lady.”

“Please. I’m telling you the truth. Look around all you want.”

The Geek sucked in a drag and took a quick look around at all the clutter. The room had enough crap in it to fill a garbage truck. Any available floor space besides the main walkways, between the front door, the bed, and the window, was taken up by boxes and stacks of books or folded up clothes.

He twisted the cigar out on the armrest, grabbed them both firmly and leaned over Mary. His huge head hovered above her for a moment and then slowly lowered until his nose was barely an inch away from hers. It made her visibly shake uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her cheeks with mucous trickling onto her upper lip.

Broken, she blurted out, “I…I really don’t know anything. Besides, how much money do you think I really need to live in this place? I don’t go anywhere. I stay in this room all the time. I don’t even go downstairs.”

“Oh yeah, den how do ya get your gwossries lady…by air mail?” said Fast Eddie. “Jeesh!”

“Well, no…the kids…I…I give them a nickel and they…” Stopping in mid-sentence, she turned away from Fast Eddie to face the Geek, whose big head was once again barely an inch away from hers. Gasping, she jerked backwards into the cushions.

“Man, dis lady’s a cry baby like the Barnes wuz,” said Fast Eddie.

“Was?” Mary asked, red faced and inadvertently blowing bubbles through the mucous while shrinking from the Geek?

“Yeah…was, like you’re gonna be,” he said. “Now, come clean and tell us what you know?”

“Please…check the whole room if you want. I…I never had anything to do with him. That’s the God’s honest truth.”

“What about the other room, lady…room 2C?”

“Nobody’s been in that room for months.”

“Go check it out Tommy, while me and Fast Eddie here have a pleasant little chat with Joe’s girlfriend.”

“Please, I wasn’t his girlfriend. It wasn’t that way at all.”

“Yeah, sure!” The Geek approached the window and looked down at the 12 stone steps of the front stoop immediately below him. “I had enough of this horse shit. Let‘s dump Mary Mary out this window, Fast Eddie.”

“Ohhh, my God! Oh, please, please!”

Eddie had a worried look on his face. “Ya know what, Big Jimmy? I really don’t think she knows anyting, I really don’t.” He nervously unwrapped a Bazooka, tossed the gum into his mouth and furiously began chewing. “Nah, she don’t know nuttin’.”

The Geek’s head snapped around. “Yo! Meathead! Shut up, already! Whose doing the interrogating around here, you or me?”

He took another look through the window, grinned and said, “Hey, that’d be something to see, huh? Imagine that…this big blimp hitting the stoop all the way down there like a big, fat, juicy watermelon?”

His eyes shifted back and forth as he took quick glances at Mary.

“Ah…yeah, it wouldn’t be no problem for me, neither. We don’t even have to open it…just ram ol’ fatty, Mary Mary’s ass right through this glass.”

“Ohhh!” Mary lowered her face into her lap, sobbing and shaking with her hands covering her head.

“This is your last chance lady. Where’s the money? Tell us where it is and we’ll leave you alone.”

“Please! I don’t know where the money is.” (Sob! Sniffle! Snort!)

“Hey…forget it! Come on Eddie, let’s check the rest of this room out.”

The Geek grabbed a towel and tossed it to Mary. “Wipe that snot off your face. I’m tired of lookin’ at it.”

Starting at the far corner, Big Jimmy threw books onto the floor and spilled boxes open. The closet was particularly hard to get to. Eddie had to up-end furniture and dump them on top of one another. Once inside, he threw everything from the closet back into the room, checking pockets and shoes or anything that could conceal money.

“That other room is empty,” said Tommy, a cigarette hanging from his lips upon stepping through the open doorway. “Yep, I checked under the carpet, too, like you told me to do in Barnes’ room, right Big Jimmy? Ya want me to cut her?”

The Geek frowned. “Why is it I’m getting awfully tired of you?”

“Who me, Big Jimmy?”

“Yeah, you! Okay, listen up. I don’t think this broad knows anything. I mean…look at her. Does that look like something the Barnes would go for?”

“No, not really,” said Fast Eddie, eyeing Mary scrunched into the recliner.

“Look…we already checked behind door number one and the bathroom, right?”

“Right!”

We also checked behind door number two, this door, and there’s nothing behind here either. So it’s gotta be behind another door?”

“Door number three!” Eddie pointedly answered. Da empty room what’s across da hall?” Snap! Chew! Chew!

“No, not that door! Tommy already checked that one. The one Barnes took with him to the grave.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right!” said Tommy.

“Door numba four! Da race track!” said Fast Eddie. Snap! Pop!

“Exactly, said Jimmy. “That’s what I was thinking. Come on…let’s get the hell out of here. We wasted enough time.”

Mary felt overwhelmed with relief. They were finally leaving.

“Remember! We were never here,” the Geek said, pointing his finger at her. “And don’t forget what I told you about the window, so keep your trap shut.”

“I won’t say anything,” she said, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes.

Eddie lingered behind. Hearing Tommy go down the steps behind the Geek, he turned to Mary and as nicely as he could put it, or with as much finesse as a frog, said, “Ya knows what Mary? I knew yas didn’t know nuttin’ ‘bout no money.” Snap! “See…dat’s why I kinda laid back like and didn’t say nuttin’ bad. I was protectin’ ya, I really was, see?” Snap! Pop! “So whaddy say I come back a liddle layda for a liddle…ah, you know, a liddle tumble? Well? Waddya say?”

“Oh, please leave me alone. Please!” Mary murmured beneath her sobs.

“Aw, come on chubsy wubsy, don’t be like dat. Look…I like big fat tubs like you, Mary. Youz is my kinda gal. So howza ‘boudit, you and me, you know…juss’ a little roll ‘n’ da hay, huh? Whaddya say? Is it woit a nice yummy piece o’ chawclit cake to ya? Huh?” Snicker. Snap! Pop! Chew! Chew!

“Oh, go already! Leave me alone!”

“Oh, yeah?” Eddie spit the gum out. “Well I got a lotta dames back in the city, see? I can get anybody, I don’t need da likes of you, no-hows, ya crazy bwoad.”

He stomped loudly to the open doorway where he suddenly stopped and ran his fingers through his hair. Pausing for a long moment, he lowered his head and then turned around with a defeated and somewhat remorseful look at Mary’s limp body. His gaze dropped to the floor as he slowly reached around for his wallet.

“Here! Takes dis ten spot for all da trouble.”

He let the bill fall to the floor and headed for the stairs without closing the door. On the way down, his singing echoed through the halls.

“My Bonnie lies ova da mountin’. My Bonnie lies ova da sea. My Bonnie lies ova da mountin’. So bring back my Bonnie to me, to me. So, bring back by Bonnie to me.”

Sunday

Detective Ted Williams opened the front gate to 240 Dean Street. He acknowledged the patrolmen at the bottom of the stoop and made his way to the top floor.

“What time ya got?” He asked Detective Don O’Brien from the doorway to the bathroom.

“Two!”

“Two? My watch stopped. Whaddya got so far?”

“Uh…the fingerprint guys are still in 2B dusting. So far they found four sets. Let’s go into the back room, there’s a lady right there in 2A.”

Detective O’Brien let Williams walk ahead into 2C, the vacant room at the back of the hall and closed the door.

“Are you saying there were four besides the guy that lives here?” said Ted.

No, that includes him.”

“Boy, they sure found out who this Barnes guy was pretty fast.”

“Yeah, well, they found a pay stub in his pocket. He’s got a rap sheet a mile long. The body was already stiff when they found him. The boat people discovered him a little before ten when they opened up this morning.”

“So, that puts the time of death somewhere around …what…early last night? Say, do you think it has something to do with that hit in Little Italy?”

“Sally Boy Rinaldi? It’s got everything to do with that. Doesn’t headquarters ever tell ya anything?” said Detective O’Brien.

“I came from the house. I was on swing shift last week. Captain called me on the phone to brief me on the case. I came straight here.”

“Well…anyway, right now we got more witnesses then the Jehovah’s do. Red 59 Chevy with Jersey plates. Four guys inside with Tommy McBride at the wheel.”

Williams noted the broken mirror and spilled garbage on the floor. “Who I-D’d the driver?”

“Somebody in the restaurant. One of Sally boy’s buddies. He also described a huge guy jumping into the car after the shots rang out, followed by Barnes, the shooter.”

“Tommy McBride…ain’t that one of Spillane’s boys?”

“That’s right. “But lots of luck getting him in for an interview.”

“Why’s that, don‘t he like Brooklyn?” As Ted said that, he checked underneath the tub.

“Apparently he must have loved Brooklyn! They found him floating belly up on this side of the bridge a few hours ago. He was dead for a while, sometime late last night or very early this morning.”

Reaching under the tub, Ted fingered the black residue from burned toilet paper. “Same as that Barnes guy!” He smelled his fingers.

“Right! And guess what?”

“What’s that?”

“He’s not gonna look too good to his relatives when they visit his coffin.”

“Why’s that?”

Don grimaced. “Eels ate what was left of his brains where he was shot. His whole head was caved in. Recycled part of his last meal of pizza, too.”

Williams shook his head. “Wow…that‘s going to be a closed casket for sure. Damn! A triple hit. Humph! They wanted to keep Tommy quiet! Apparently, Spillane figured that out, too. That’s why they put him in the driver’s seat. People were bound to see who was driving, and Tommy of course was expendable. I guess he wasn’t worth much to them.”

“Nope! A little too low on the totem pole…like the two of us, huh, Ted?”

“Very funny…speak for yourself. I’m happy where I am. Hey Don, you know what else?”

“No, what?”

“This ain’t gonna go down easy. The 18th Precinct over in Manhattan isn’t going to give up Spillane or any of his crony gang members.”

Don Agreed. “Not if their captain wants to get home to Forest Hills in one piece.”

“Right, and I’m pretty sure that’s a nice monthly check he gets from Spillane, enough to pay my mortgage and then some. By the way…did you interview anybody in the building, yet?”

“Yes, the lady in the front room. She says she never heard anything.”

“She never heard anything?” Ted cracked the door, looked out and quickly shut it again. “Then how the hell did the frame of her door get broken like that without her knowing? Or this one!” As he said that, he pulled off a piece of split molding from the door jamb.

O’Brien shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands in the air. “I’m only telling’ you what she told me.”

“I suppose she didn’t hear the bathroom mirror getting ripped off the wall, either?”

“I know, but she’s not talking.”

“Didn’t you threaten to take her to the station?”

“She’s a big lady, Ted. I wouldn’t know how to get her there. Maybe you better go on in and question her for yourself? You might have better luck.”